Body Language
by helloimally
Summary: After "Endgame," the Krew is in the South Pole. The close contact of training and sparring sparks the unseen, unheard, and unrealized conflicts and emotions of the Krew, especially between Asami Sato and Korra herself. For better or for worse, the truth comes out.
1. Chapter 1

She was poised to strike. With which element was unclear, but she was poised. From the set of the legs it was probably air or fire, though the arms and wrists suggested water. Asami narrowed her eyes as she assessed the situation and planned her strategy.

Asami, Mako, and Bolin had been sparring with the Avatar on a daily basis during their stay with the Southern Water Tribe. Asami's lack of bending lead Korra to "take it easy" on her the first time they sparred. The end result was a very surly, ego hurt Avatar and two laughing brothers. Now Korra sparred with Asami the most in her effort to "even the score." And after her experience with the chi-blockers, Korra could definitely use practice fighting nonbenders.

The striking pose certainly indicated fire. Airbending was much more effective with negative gin, though Korra did have a way of letting her headstrong, eager to fight personality seep into her bending strategies. Asami would not put it past her to attack with airbending more often than she would use it for redirection or retreat. And when did Korra ever retreat?

_No,_she thought, _it's definitely… her smile._

She had decided this. There were at least 12 distinctly different "Korra smiles" she had counted so far. 12 different smiles, and each one absolutely perfect. Her cocky smile, her gentle grin, and her playful smirk were all equally charming on that strong, tanned face. And now her smile was changing from a confident challenge to a devious smirk, which Asami knew meant-

_Definitely fire!_ With a swift _fwoosh_, the Avatar sent a swirl of twisting flames toward Asami's feet. The heiress bent her body backwards, sailing over the bout of flames and landing in a crouch a few feet back. _Spirits! I should have been more ready for that._She had to focus on the fight or she'd never hear the end of it. Shaking her head, Asami returned her attention to her approaching opponent. She was leaning forward to continue her attack, all limbs indicating a fire/earth combination that was always her follow up trick. Asami knew how to counter this perfectly, as Korra always kept her earth and fire attacks on the same sides of her body. Asami made to roll under the anticipated fire attack and looked into the eyes of her attacker. She was still smiling, now with a wild joy brought on by her pride in bending. That was her 5th smile, and Asami's favorite so far… Each smile made Asami's stomach jump, trapping her gaze in those wild eyes.

_Those eyes… Not her smile, it's her eyes._

Not that that mattered when Asami realized she mixed up which side the Avatar used for earth and firebending. While Asami meant to roll away from earth and under fire, she ended up rolling right into the rut resulting from Korra's subsequent rock shower aimed at her previous location. Not the worst faux pas in the world, but definitely one she'd pay for. She gathered herself up as quickly as she could, knowing the uneven ground would only disadvantage her. Before she could get out of the rough terrain, Korra had redirected herself and was headed to corner Asami in this unfortunate location. _Earth, right. Uhm, Korra usually uses earth to, uhm, crap!_ Flustered as the heiress was, her knowledge of the Avatar's fighting style was escaping her. She did know that standing here waiting was a bad idea, but why-

That was why. When Korra got just close enough, she dug in her feet and erected half a dome around Asami, leaving only a small opening leading squarely to her. She smirked again and her eyes gleamed with pure confidence. She was close enough now that Asami could see every shade of Korra's shimmering, blue eyes. Nothing else in her world had ever been so brilliantly blue. It was like the entire ocean was trapped in those beautiful eyes. The entire ocean, and all 12 of those smiles. They were entirely perfect, and perfectly unpredictable.

_Those eyes… Get it together, Asami! You're trapped! What to do, crap, what can I do…?_She was trying not to panic, but she'd never been this defenseless during a fight before. There had been the occasional blushing, but never such intrusive thoughts. _Crap, uhm, if I draw her in then she'll be more vulnerable to quick attacks!_It was risky, but she had no other choice. Instead of rushing her like Korra wanted, she carefully repositioned herself in a waiting pose inside the dome. Korra hesitated, knowing the heiress would be easier to counter with open space.

"What's the matter, all powerful Avatar? Can't take a prissy nonbender on in such a small space? Or are you afraid your big head won't fit through the opening?" Goading the hotheaded Avatar was always a huge risk, but Asami couldn't risk losing focus again by waiting. Korra's confident smirk turned into a snarl as she threw herself at the heiress. In such tight quarters, the two warriors were in almost constant contact… A fact that soon became impossible for Asami to ignore. The small area heated up extremely quickly, especially for the frigid air of the South Pole. Korra threw her entire self into her attack, determined to grab a hold of the elusive nonbender. Asami dodged, flipped, and swirled out of Korra's grasp time and time again, flying around the Avatar like a buzzing fly in a silent room. Korra threw fire, earth, and finally water at the girl, but she was at a disadvantage in close quarters. Asami twisted around Korra's side and grabbed her wrist at the same time, pulling it behind her back and out of the fight. Korra's eyes widened in surprise and anger, then glinted with a surge of innovation. Asami had forgotten she was on uneven ground, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Avatar. Korra threw her weight backwards into Asami, whose feet were not yet squared enough to balance on the rocky surface. Korra wrestled her wrist out of Asami's now lax grip and turned her body over in order to pin the nonbender in place. Asami looked up in surprise, shocked by Korra's show of creativity. Her befuddled gaze was caught and held prisoner by Korra's triumphant one. Just from looking into her eyes, Asami could tell exactly which smile was dancing across Korra's bold lips.

_Oh spirits, it's her lips._ They were parted partially, enough to show her triumphant smile and to allow her to pant from the exertion of close range combat. Her bottom lip was starting to crack, and a bead of sweat ran down her face and into the corner of her lips. Asami was overwhelmed by the urge to wipe the bead away and hold Korra's face in her hand, which caught her by surprise. She had acknowledged that she had been admiring Korra from afar, but she didn't realize she had the desire to _act_ on those urges. And it definitely did not help that Korra was taking so long to let Asami up.

"Uhm, nice job, Korra. We're officially even, and you're definitely getting better." _And more attractive, if that's even possible_. Korra smiled and got up, offering Asami her hand. Asami took it nervously and stretched out her back once she was back on her feet.

"Same time tomorrow, Miss Sato. I believe I still need to be officially _beating you_ before I'm satisfied." She winked in her playful, absolutely oblivious way and sauntered off towards the dining hall. Asami watched her walk away for a minute or two, perhaps a bit longer than she should have.

"Hey, Asami! What happened to Miss Badass-Mofo-Avatar-Butt-Kicker-Fighter-Woman?" Asami jumped as Bolin's booming voice shocked her out of her Avatar-induced reverie. "I was expecting it to be a bit closer from yesterday's _awesome_ brawl, but you barely seemed to be trying until the very end!"

"Oh, uhm, I guess I just wasn't up to fighting today," shrugged Asami. Heading towards the large hut against the western wall of the Water Tribe village, Asami tore her gaze off of the now far off figure of the native woman and focused her energy on keeping her retreat as casual as possible. As she strode toward her dormitory, she heard the snow behind her crunch under Bolin's stocky body. This indication that her friend was not going to lunch with the others made Asami nervous; Bolin never passed a meal, especially when the kitchen specialty is seaweed noodles. Asami glanced back at Bolin and immediately noticed the teasing smile playing across his excitable face, which only worsened the feeling in her stomach. Either he wanted to keep teasing her about the match… _or he noticed how I was looking at Korra. Oh no, please no. No no no no n-_

"Hey, _lover girl,_ wait up!" This one assertion from Bolin triggered the fight that was missing earlier, and Asami snapped before the last word completely escaped from his mouth. The heiress grabbed the earthbender's wrist and flipped him over her shoulder and into the snow. Asami didn't even realize how hard that one statement hit her until she looked down at her knee digging into her friend's chest and noticed her manicured hand curled into a fierce fist by her cheek. "WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, HEY!" Bolin's arms flew over his face, which was currently in a shocked grimace. Asami relaxed her grip on the boy and stood up quickly, trying to recover. She brushed the snow off her newly designed dual purpose snow/driving pants and turned away, letting Bolin pick himself up.

"Uhm, I didn't mean to.. Well…" Asami struggled in exasperation to make her reaction to his accusation less obvious. _Crap, why the Hell did I do that?_"Spirits, Bolin. You can't just- Ugh, you should've learned to watch what you say by now! I don't want to be seen as some vengeful, conniving exgirlfriend who sets out to ruin her ex's new relationship! The idea of that is ridiculous enough to me, and if you go _yelling that_ throughout the village no one around here is going to understand at all!" Asami sighed explosively and covered the rest of the distance to her building in seconds. "I do not need to be made into an outcast again, Bolin. Think before you speak!"

Asami laid awake in her cot, staring at the frozen ice ceiling of her room. Her mind couldn't stop buzzing, mostly with useless questions and mundane observations. For whatever reason, wondering how a building made of solid ice managed to insulate enough heat to make living bearable was much more demanding than sleep, not to mention seemingly impossible in its nature. And if the room was warm enough to remain comfortable, why weren't the walls melting at all? _That's entirely illogical. If I'm warm enough to sleep without a jacket on, there's no way it's cold enough to make being unconscious under a few tons of ceiling ice safe. The second I go to sleep, this whole room is coming down. That's just my luck, anyways._ Asami sighed and turned over, squeezing her eyelids closed in an attempt to refocus her energies and quiet her mind. Only a few moments of this and she knew it was futile, so she sat up violently and swung her legs out of bed. If she just had to think, she could do so while stretching her legs. Pulling on her shoes and a long jacket, Asami headed out of the dorm. She didn't even bother changing out of her nightshirt; she wouldn't be up long.

The heiress strolled down the hallways and out into the courtyard, wanting some fresh air. While she would always be a city girl at heart, she had to admit she loved how fresh and clear the air of the South Pole was. She closed her eyes and took in a deep, crisp, calming breath to clear her mind. She stood there for a while in peace, until her feet reminded her that shoes appropriate for strolling in Republic City were not as efficient when walking through the snow of the South Pole. Water seeped into her rather expensive shoes and definitely put a damper on her new found serenity. Asami sighed and headed back inside, flinging the snow off her feet.

Asami continued her stroll aimlessly, touring the building for nearly an hour. When she became aware of her surroundings at last, she looked in the nearest room and her heart stopped. It was much too unsettling to even pretend it was coincidence, and Asami was much too logical for that. Apparently even her subconscious mind always ended up on the subject of Korra, as her unwitting feet had shown her. The underdressed girl leaned her head against the doorframe and smiled at the always oblivious form of the sleeping waterbender.

"You'll have to tell her eventually."

Asami jumped and spun around, nearly slamming into the doorframe with as much overwhelming force as her erratic heartbeat. "Oh my- wow, Bolin. You just- How long were you…?" She sighed and dropped her oh so heavy head into her palm. "How long have you known?"

"Ah, come on, Asami! Name one person around here who _hasn't_had a crush on Korra," joked Bolin in response. He winked one of his soft, green eyes and threw his muscular arm around her shoulders. In just that split second of expression, Asami saw the flash of residual hurt left over from his attempt at romance with their favorite wild woman. _Is that what my fate would be, in the nearly impossible scenario in which I had the courage to tell Korra?_ She turned her pained gaze to the sleeping Avatar, blissfully unaware of anything happening around her. Asami didn't have half the confidence Korra so easily bore. She tore her eyes from the waterbender and instead occupied herself with a particularly interesting knot in the wooden flooring.

"It would never work," whispered Asami, closing her eyes to prevent the sudden buildup of pressure behind her eyes from escaping. For a girl so tall and determined, she felt incredibly small and powerless. Bolin's wide, soft hands grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him directly. When she refused to open her eyes, one of Bolin's great hands found its way to her chin, lifting her face up out of the shadow and into the moonlight.

"Hey, pal, this isn't like you. If there's anything I've learned about you, it's that you never, _ever_, give up on what you want. You're one of the strongest people I know, especially after watching Mako go after Korra and, you know, all that with your dad. Your whole world was gone in a second, and you still held together for the rest of us. You're a fighter, and a pretty badass one at that!" At the end of Bolin's speech, Pabu poked his head around the corner of the hall and scuttled over to Bolin's feet. In a second, he climbed up Bolin's leg and ascended to his shoulders, watching Asami with his beady eyes. Asami smiled and looked at the quirky fire ferret, still avoiding Bolin's gaze.

"You know, it wasn't so hard knowing that Mako was drifting away. It hurt, yes, but honestly…" Asami fidgeted and shifted her gaze now to the ceiling. "I couldn't stop looking at Korra the whole time. At first I thought it was jealousy, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't be angry at her. She was always so oblivious and focused on Amon and-" Asami took a deep breath and looked down at her shoes again, noting the water damage now sinking in from her midnight stroll through the snow, before continuing. "- I got so angry at Mako. Whenever he looked at her or touched her… Bo, I was so pissed."

"Hold on there, Miss Sato. This is serious time." Bolin's tone was a strange mixture of serious and comical, as only he could achieve.

"We weren't serious before? This whole thing isn't a joke, Bo-"

"Asami, you _love_ her?"

Asami let out a small chuckle and finally returned the gaze of her friend. "You know, Bo, crazy talk is coming out of your mouth right now." Bolin's face contorted into a barely contained mess of excitement, his shoulders squeezing into his chest and shaking as though he were about to explode. "Bolin, are you oka-"

"This. Is. So. Crazy. _CUTE!_" Bolin's excitement exploded in a less than quiet manner, his arms entirely engulfing the heiress in a bone-crushing bear hug that sent Pabu flying to the ground and sliding through the open door. "This is seriously the cutest, craziest, most adorablest thing _ever_!"

"Thanks, Bo, but-" Her response was cut off sharply as Bolin's hug ripped the air from her lungs for a moment. Suddenly, she heard a soft groan through the doorway from Korra's room. Bolin must have been much louder than he meant to be, and he wasn't regaining any reserve at the moment. "Bolin, _be__quiet!_"Asami hissed as she heard Korra roll over again through the open door. Pabu recovered from his landing and made his way up further into the Avatar's room, out of sight. Both Bolin and Asami stood perfectly still until they heard the quiet question drift through the doorway to the lurking pair.

"Bo…?" Asami winced as she realized they had woken up their unwitting topic of conversation. She motioned Bolin to respond, but he had a look of frozen panic on his face that told Asami she was on her own. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back to loosen the tension built up in her body.

"Uhm, Kor-" she coughed at the attempted change in volume, having been whispering this whole time. "Hm. Korra? You awake?" Asami closed her eyes tightly and silently hoped the Avatar had already fallen asleep again. A few seconds passed, allowing Asami to relax. She pushed Bolin by the shoulder in mock revenge and made to tiptoe away.

"… Asami." Asami froze as she heard Korra's sheets rustle a bit, and she knew the Avatar was awake now. She sent a pleading look to Bolin, whose only response was to beam at the heiress and push her through the doorway with a thumbs up. Asami stumbled for a second, then turned to face Korra. Pabu had taken the liberty of licking the Avatar's face as she rubbed her eyes. Asami cleared her throat and searched for her confidence.

"Yes, Korra, it's me. I, uhm…" She looked over her shoulder at Bolin, who smiled warmly and nodded her forward. Asami steeled herself and locked her hesitant, green eyes with Korra's wild, blue ones. She watched the waves crash for a few seconds and felt them wash away her doubt. "Korra, we need to talk." Pabu jumped off the bed as Korra shifted her body to a sitting position. Asami's eyes never left the sleepy waterbender, even when Pabu circled her right boot lovingly before returning to Bolin as he crept away.

"Mm? Mkay, yeah. Uhm," the Avatar mumbled almost incoherently, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Korra was notoriously bad at waking up, especially in the middle of the night. A colossal yawn fought its way out of her mouth before she could speak again. "… just, uh, come sit over here." She patted the space next to her on her bed and fell back down in an ungraceful pile.

Asami couldn't help but smile at Korra's persistent and endearing lack of etiquette. But Korra's invitation, as simple and characteristically oblivious as it was, sent Asami's stomach into a mess of nervous knots. She took a deep, calming breath and crossed the distance between them with a few tentative steps. A few feet felt like the entire length of the South Pole itself. Asami sat herself on the edge of the bed and gathered her confidence, preparing herself to let this secret out.

"A-saami? You alrighhh?" Korra yawned again through her words, not even awake enough to finish her sentence. She turned towards the heiress and flopped her arms around her waist, as if to play throw her like one of their sparring sessions, but lacked the energy to move Asami even an inch. Asami's entire body tensed, trying completely in vain to ignore how Korra's right hand fell onto her thigh, not to mention how her left hand managed to brush the bit of open skin Asami's nightshirt left bare. "You might as well sleep here, it's so late…" She flopped back onto her bed and her face fell towards the window, away from Asami. Korra was fading fast, so it was now or never.

"Korra, I- I have to tell you this. I like you. Yeah, it probably sounds stupid and I know you probably don't feel the same for me, but it's just…" Asami was stammering and speaking far too quickly, but she couldn't stop herself. "Gosh, it's just that you are all I can think about. I can't help it. I try to focus on sparring and communications with Future Industries and helping Pema and Katara but every single time, no matter what I'm doing, your face and your smile, your eyes… your lips… I just can't think around you. I- Korra? You awake?" With the break in her rambling, Asami noticed that Korra was breathing much slower and not even partially reacting to her words. The Avatar was curled on her side with her back to Asami, and it seemed clear that she had drifted back to sleep. Asami let out a deep sigh and pulled off her boots before laying down next to the sleeping woman. If Korra was escaping through sleep, she'd make sure she listened in the morning. Asami turned towards Korra and, in a moment of boldness, slowly ran a hand through her waves of dark brown hair. As her fingers brushed the back of her neck, Asami breathed out a longing breath and whispered softly, "I love you, Korra." With one final look, Asami curled up next to Korra and closed her eyes to drift to sleep.

As the moonlight shone through the open window, reflected light danced in the wavering blue eyes of the very awake waterbender laying still in the night.


	2. Chapter 2

It was morning, and the sun was up.

Asami laid in bed, deliberately keeping her eyes closed. As long as they were closed, time was stopped. And time had to be stopped right now, because something was wrong with her current situation. There were warm covers wrapped protectively around her, a soft pillow supporting her drowsy head, and sunlight falling on her cheeks as she laid in her bed alone.

_My bed…_Asami's eyes flew open as she realized what was wrong. _Not my bed. Korra's bed._She shot up immediately, covers flying off her body. She looked around the room; no sign of Korra. Asami felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. Korra never got up early, especially not after being woken up in the middle of the night. She was sure Korra was asleep when she had confessed her feelings for her, but that didn't stop the cold feeling of rejection from settling into her heart. The heiress swung her legs over the edge of the bed, took in a deep, calming breath, and reached down to find her soaked shoes. When her searching hand came across the first shoe, she was surprised to find that it wasn't even damp; in fact, it was perfectly dry. _Korra…?_Asami shook her head and stepped into her shoes, making her way back to her room. Asami switched her nightshirt for her favorite red turtleduck-neck sweater, pulled on her snow pants, and exchanged her shoes for her snow boots. She was just pulling on her Future Industries insulated jacket when Bolin poked his head into the doorway.

"Heeeeeeey there, lover girl. How was the lovin', on a scale of one to _looooooooove?_" teased the earthbender. Bolin sauntered over to Asami's bed and laid down in a seductive pose, winking at his friend. Asami turned her back to Bolin and pulled on her driving gloves. "Hey, Asami, I'm looking for details here!"

"There are no details, Bo. There's nothing to tell, and no love to speak of. Nothing."

"Whatcha mean, pal? You slept there! Even my grandma would know what that meant. Come on, I'm dying to know what happened!"

"Nothing happened! And nothing will, so just drop it! She fell asleep before I had a chance to say anything, and she left before I woke up this morning. Nothing happened, and nothing ever will. I'm not putting myself in that position again. So stop asking!" Asami stormed out of the room, leaving a very perplexed Bolin standing alone.

_Why does he always have to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong? If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be in this situation. Ugh, he's just- Ugh!_Asami strode out of the hut at a brisk pace, not even conscious of where she was going. As long as it was away from Bolin, she didn't care. _How could I be so stupid? Nothing good could ever come from Korra knowing how I feel about her. Sure, I've known a few people in Republic City who've been attracted to people of the same gender, but not in the South Pole. And I've definitely never heard of a gay Avatar. What was I-_

Asami really wasn't watching where she was going, leading her to walk headlong into a figure clad entirely in orange and yellow. "Oh, oops. Sorry, Tenz-" Asami cut off that apology the second she tore her eyes from the ground and looked into the eyes of the person with whom she found herself face to face. The disgruntled face she was expecting turned out not to be Tenzin, but Korra herself. Asami's eyes widened in embarrassment and panic while Korra looked away as fast as the wind. "Uhm, hey. Korra. I'm sorry. I was just- I was just headed to the dining hall. Are you going to train with Tenzin?"

"Yep. That's right. Airbending training. With Tenzin. That's where I'm going." Korra was refusing to look at Asami, which worsened the feeling in Asami's stomach. Korra turned so her body faced the opposite wall instead of the heiress, her profile showing the Avatar's arms crossed stiffly across her chest as well as that pout Asami always adored setting into the girl's lips. Now that pout brought pressure back to Asami's eyes, as she knew it was now there out of discomfort. She looked back down at her feet; she would rather be anywhere else in the world than in front of this girl. _Oh spirits, how can I get away from her without-_

"There you are, Miss Sato. I've been looking for you." Asami jumped as the very polite voice of Tenzin sounded from behind her. She stood up straight and turned to face him.

"Good morning, Councilman Tenzin. It's good to see you." Asami bowed to the master airbender and smiled when he returned the gesture. She may be extremely uncomfortable around Korra alone, but Tenzin brought with him an air of authority and formality that made Asami much more comfortable. She knew what to do and how to act in social situations with high class officials; it was her interactions with the entirely uncivilized Avatar that threw her into doubt and confusion. Unlike most people, Asami liked business dealings.

"Good morning to you as well. I have a favor to ask of you, Asami, if you are free."

"Absolutely, it would be my pleasure to help with anything you need." Asami smiled respectfully at the councilman. He was almost too official to be friendly with, but that was fine for the heiress. _I hope his task takes a lot of energy. I need to get my mind off of Korra or I'll go insane._

"I'm glad you are so enthusiastic, as that energy will be required for what I have in mind," replied Tenzin most matter of factly. Instead of explaining further, the airbending master turned his attention to Korra, who was leaning against the wall and playing with a trail of flames by weaving it between her fingers like a coin. "Korra, pay attention please. I have instructions for you."

"What? Oh, yeah, training," responded Korra without any apparent interest. The waterbender pushed herself off the wall and turned lazily to face her teacher. Though the two women were facing the same speaker, Korra stayed a step behind Asami. Asami glanced over her shoulder at the girl and felt her cheeks grow hot. "What've you got today, Tenzin?"

"For today's lesson, you will be sparring in the arena. This will, however, not be a bending lesson. In order-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You lost me. What do you want me sparring for if it's not a bending lesson? What's the point?"

"Well if you had learned even an ounce of patience since I've started instructing you, then you would know to wait for the explanation. Airbending is about more than throwing a punch, young Avatar, and if you refuse to learn then you will never reach your full potential."

This stopped Korra in her tracks; she wanted to get better, not stay just as good as she was before. She took in a humbling breath and lowered her head in respect. "My apologies, Master. I'll try to be more patient."

"You have already grown more patient in your time here, Korra. You need not be hard on yourself. Now, as I was saying, this sparring session will not in fact be a lesson about bending. This will be a lesson in nonbending fighting styles, about which, if my mother has informed me correctly, you had received little to no instruction or experience prior to your battles in Republic City. If there is anything we learned from the Equalist Rebellion, it is that nonbenders can be just as dangerous as benders, if not more so. So, as of today, you officially have a new master to learn from."

Korra took a couple steps toward Tenzin to emphasize her disgruntled pout, passing by Asami without so much as a glance. "Tenzin, with all due respect, I don't need to learn fighting without bending. I mean, aren't the forms essentially the same as bending? Just, well, a lot closer? And I can't stay in the South Pole forever or who knows what will happen! I really don't think I have anything to learn from that. Airbending is bad enough." Korra rolled her eyes and slumped against the wall as Tenzin looked back at her with a look of reservation, clearly expressing that he was simply waiting for Korra to stop complaining so he could finish giving her her instructions. While Korra was stubborn and impatient, Asami looked at Tenzin in confusion. Why would he need her to be here if he's just bringing in a new master?

"Well fine, then. Who is it, Tenzin?"

"I thought it would be obvious, Korra. Your new master is Miss Sato. She will be drilling you in hand to hand combat every other day from now on, in between your airbending lessons. You will meditate in the mornings as per usual and then report to the arena to spar. While you will still spar with your friends to keep up your form in the other elements, every other day will be spent entirely with Miss Sato here to get your nonbending fighting style up to par. The afternoons will be spent normally, continuing your airbending training with me. This is effective immediately, starting with martial arts training today." Tenzin bowed politely in dismissal and turned away from the women. As he went to leave, he called over his shoulder, "I expect to see both of you in the arena at noon. Katara and myself will be there to watch. Good luck!"

Asami had not moved through the entire exchange. She stared straight ahead, unthinking and uncomprehending. Her eyes were wide, showing the entirety of her green irises as well as the surrounding field of white. Her pupils had retreated into the expanse of emerald and were desperately hiding within. The last place Asami wanted to be today was in the same room as Korra, let alone in close contact with her! There was no way this would turn out well.

"So, Asami," the Avatar blurted. Those two words sounded louder than the engine of the largest Satomobile in production after the silence left by Tenzin's departure. "Or, I guess I should call you Sifu Asami." Korra chuckled playfully, though not nearly as playfully as normal.

_She's forcing it,_realized Asami. _She's trying to act like nothing happened, just like she pretended to be asleep._The girl's charade became obvious to the heiress on her walk back to her room earlier that morning, as nothing else could have explained her behavior. "Uh, yeah, I suppose I am your master now." Asami tried to smile like she normally would, but she wasn't sure how successful she was. "Good thing, too, considering how useless you are at fighting nonbenders." Asami looked over at the Water Tribe girl and saw a look of indecision and sadness in her eyes, making the usual smirk look extremely out of place. _Oops, was that too mean?_Asami hated how hard it was to be around Korra at the moment, especially after how close they had gotten in the past three weeks in the South Pole. The smirk started to fade as Korra transitioned from an aloof stance to a more open one. Asami watched the ice in Korra's eyes melt the smallest amount as her lips parted to speak.

"Asami, we should really-"

"Uhm, sorry, I just realized I'm totally running late for lunch and I told Bolin I'd meet him there five minutes ago." Asami knew she was panicking but she couldn't stop herself. Before she knew what she was doing, she was essentially jogging down the hallway. "You know how he gets, he'll think I got eaten by Naga if I take much longer. See you at the arena!" She had to yell her goodbye in order for it to reach the solitary woman's ears. Asami reached a full out run by the time she rounded the corner and didn't stop until she reached the dining hall. The look of sadness in Korra's eyes was burned into Asami's mind, and she was already in full analysis of the meaning behind it. _She hates me, oh spirits I know she does. Okay, calm down. Uhm, she looked sad and confused, which is exactly how I feel, but she was so guarded. Her eyes were so cold… but they started to thaw. She was trying to talk about it. But, I can't… What if she was telling me she didn't want to be around me anymore? Or, what if she was being her usual blunt self and saying she'd never think of me that way? No, I couldn't take that. I just can't._Asami grabbed a mango and a bowl of noodles without even thinking about how odd the combination was, then sat down at an empty table and dropped her head into her hands. She left her food untouched and tried to get the throbbing in her temples to subside.

Asami sat in the dining hall for at least another half hour before giving up on her untouched food and made her way to the arena. She was early, yes, but she needed to be. While sitting in silence, Asami decided she needed to come to terms with what was going on, accept the situation, and strive to return her demeanor to as confident and polite as it was before last night's… incident. Asami stood in the center of the arena and closed her eyes. She had to assess and accept all the facts before training would start, or she would undoubtedly let down Tenzin as well as Korra. Deep breath in. _Korra is with Mako._ Understand. Accept. Breathe out. _She knows how I feel about her._Understand. Accept. Breathe out. _She does not reciprocate my feelings._Repeat. _I have to train her, so I cannot avoid her._Repeat. _Our friendship is hurt and may not recover._Repeat. _I have to be her teacher now, not her friend… or lover._Repeat. _This means… I have to take all of my emotions and put them in a box._Repeat. _In order to be around Korra… I cannot love her._Understand, acc-. _Accept, ugh, accept it, Asami! I cannot love her, I cannot love her, I cannot-_

"You are much better at mediation than Korra, Miss Sato. And you don't even have to be sitting." Tenzin's voice shattered Asami's concentration. She jumped in surprise and felt a quick surge of fear fly through her body, causing her heart to race.

"Tenzin! Sorry, I was just," sputtered the nonbender in a rush. She cleared her throat and stood up straight, greeting Tenzin with a smile. "My apologies. I was just clearing my head before training. I was distracted yesterday and Korra got the jump on me. I do not want to fail on my first day as a teacher." She looked behind Tenzin and saw Katara talking to Korra. As she looked, she noticed that while Korra was standing respectfully in front of her waterbending master, her eyes were glued to Asami over Katara's head. The two fighters made eye contact, and Asami could not break it. She had seen so many emotions flash through the eyes of the Avatar, and she had labeled, documented, and filed all of them. Each one was memorized and identified. But she did not know this one.

"- and we are very grateful that you have agreed to teach Korra. She can be incredibly difficult at times, sometimes downright impossible, but she catches on eventually. I look forward to… Asami? Asami, are you listening?"

"What?" Asami was shocked out of her reverie, finally breaking her eye contact with the Avatar. "Uhm, yes," she chuckled, stumbling over her words. "No need to thank me, Tenzin. It will be my pleasure to help train the Avatar, even if her inability to bend will make our matches a bit unfair." She smiled at Tenzin and they both made their way over to the two Water Tribe women. Asami could feel Korra's eyes boring into her, even as she refused to make eye contact. Asami instead directed her attention to Katara and bowed respectfully. Katara was a world-renowned master bender and living legend. Asami was humbled to be living with her tribe, which was a feeling that hit her every single time she saw the old master. "Master Katara, it is an honor to be in your presence."

"The honor is mine, Miss Sato," was Katara's warm reply. Her voice rang with wisdom and compassion. "I am very pleased that Korra finally has a teacher for nonbending martial arts. She might not have needed specific instruction if the Order of the White Lotus had allowed her to travel the world while mastering the elements, but what is done is done. And now she will have the opportunity to learn from a fierce fighter such as yourself." Asami smiled and was about to thank her for the compliment when Katara did something that took her completely off guard. While Tenzin was turning to Korra, Katara leaned her head forward slightly and winked slyly at the heiress. Asami was left staring open-mouthed as Katara turned to her son, cutting off his instructions to Korra midway. "Tenzin, if you want Korra to regard Miss Sato with the respect she is due as a master, don't you think you should let Asami give her her orders?"

"Well, I was just trying to explain to Korra that-"

"And since when has Korra learned better from theory than practice?"

"Well I- she-" Tenzin sighed in defeat. He placed his hand sideways in front of his sternum and bowed his head, recognizing the truth in her words. "You are right, mother. I apologize. Asami, the Avatar is all yours. Best of luck." Tenzin made his way to the spectator area outside the ring with Katara by his side, leaving Asami alone with Korra. Asami closed her eyes and took in one last deep breath and let it out slowly, preparing for the inevitable.

_I cannot love her._ Asami opened her eyes and turned towards Korra. The woman was still staring directly at Asami, and it felt as though she hadn't looked away since they first made eye contact. Asami felt her resolve waver and shook her head, changing gears into business mode where she had the most control. "Alright, Korra. We've fought before, so you should pretty much understand how this goes. You've always been a great fighter, so you should be able to grasp this… well, quickly enough. I know you like to throw yourself right into things, so we can do a practice session to start if you'd like." _Damn it, you need to take control. Why is it so hard to block this girl out? Ugh!_

"Uhm, sure. Whatever you think is best, 'Sami." Korra finally redirected her gaze, and Asami was shocked to see a faint rush of color make its way to the woman's cheeks. _Why can't I read this girl?_ She decided to stop the conversation before it got any more awkward, and there was only one fast way to do so.

Asami stepped forward, placing her leg past the Avatar, grabbed her wrist, then swept her leg from behind Korra's feet to bring her to the ground. It was a sneak attack, yes, but she needed to change the nature of their interaction as quickly as possible. Asami bent her body back in an unnecessary backbend and stood in a fighting stance a good five meters from Korra. Korra looked dazed as she realized what happened, then quickly caught up with the change in pace. From her position on the ground, Korra spun herself around using her legs in a move not unlike Firelord Zuko's famous firebending move and threw herself to her feet. Asami was finally back in fighting mode and narrowed her eyes, assessing the Avatar's strategy. Asami was sure she knew exactly how Korra would fight, and the defiant look in her eyes confirmed her suspicions. As Korra had said earlier, she thought nonbending fighting styles were identical to bending, just a lot closer. So when she ran directly at Asami head-on, Asami just smiled and waited. Before Korra even knew what had happened, Asami had sidestepped Korra's charge and simply tripped her as she passed. Korra landed in a heap on the arena floor and looked at Asami in shock. When Asami simply smiled and didn't even bother returning to a fighting stance, Korra looked infuriated. _She is making this far too easy. Has she really not picked anything up from our sparring sessions before?_ Korra jumped to her feet raised her fists to her darkened face; Korra hated losing. Asami decided to drive her point home with one more takedown, which she initiated by baiting Korra in the worst way. Korra wanted to prove she was a challenger, so Asami simply turned her back to the girl and started to walk away with her hands behind her back. As she walked away from the fuming bender, she heard her growl indignantly and smiled to herself. Korra threw herself at Asami's seemingly unguarded back, taking the open cheap shot without hesitation. As Korra extended her arm to strike Asami's back, the heiress turned her body sideways and swept her leg backwards and up, redirecting Korra's swing and sending her stumbling past with the weight of her own body propelling her to the ground. Asami stood in front of the bender, keeping her hands behind her back, and gave her a smirk that clearly said "look, no hands!" This sent Korra over her limit of frustration, and Asami saw the last sliver of inhibition dissolve from her combative eyes. She had to be ready to react to what she suspected would come next. As Korra rose from the ground, Asami noticed the Avatar dig her feet in and felt the earthbending attack before it happened. As Korra raised her arms to rip two huge slabs of earth from the arena floor, Asami had already darted forward and dropped to her knees, sliding under Korra's right arm and grabbing it at the elbow. One last twist and a yank and the Avatar was on her back again, only this time she laid there and panted without continuing her assault. Asami looked down at the woman and couldn't help but feel a surge of pity and guilt, knowing she had just lowered her friend's confidence and ruined her mood. _Stop it, Asami. You're training her, not consoling her!_ _She's_supposed_to feel this way._Asami shook her head and looked up to see Tenzin walking towards them from his previous location in the observation panel.

"Well, that was… a start. Miss Sato, I trust you know what you're doing from here. I need to return to the work sent to me by the Council, so you have as long as you feel you need to complete the lesson. If you need me for any reason, feel free to find me in my office," stated Tenzin respectfully. He turned his gaze to Korra, who was now sitting with her arm on her knee, her back to the two masters. "Korra, I am going to be honest and say that I expected a bit more from you. Resorting to bending to try to cheat your way to victory is _absolutely _unacceptable. I trust that will not happen again. After watching this match, I have changed my mind concerning your training schedule. If Miss Sato does not object, these nonbending lessons will take place every day in place of your sparring sessions with the brothers. This will continue until Miss Sato feels you have made significant progress in nonbending fighting styles." At this, the airbender turned back to Asami to address her again. "I have every confidence in your teaching abilities, Asami. Thank you again for agreeing to help train Korra. Remember that you may contact me whenever you feel it is necessary, and I would appreciate an update on any progress Korra has made at the end of this week." Asami bowed in acknowledgement and turned back to Korra as Tenzin walked away. The girl had not moved or remarked on anything Tenzin had said the entire time, neither exploding in anger nor begging for her schedule to remain the same. Looking at Korra sitting in defeat was so alien to Asami that her instincts overrode her logic for the second time. Asami walked up next to Korra and sat down next to her, keeping her gaze forward and not saying a word. It was a few minutes before Korra spoke.

"I haven't felt so hopelessly bad at something since my first airbending lessons with Tenzin. I never wanted to feel this… helpless, again. And here I am, still sucking," Korra sighed as she dropped her head into her knees. Asami had to resist the urge to put her arm around Korra's shoulders. "It was like… it was like having to fight the chi-blockers again."

"Korra, don't be ridiculous. You're one of the strongest fighters I've ever met, and definitely one of the most challenging sparring partners I've ever had. This is just something entirely new, you can't expect to be perfect at it right away," argued Asami. While it sounded like she was downplaying Korra's disadvantage to make her feel better, she reasoned that Korra needed confidence in order to learn. "Besides," she smiled as she turned her gaze to Korra, "I was kind of egging you on on purpose. I knew what would get to you. And not many opponents will know how to get under your skin that well." Asami thought she saw the corner of Korra's mouth twitch in response, which soothed her nerves quite a bit.

"You always manage to surprise me, Miss Sato. The seemingly prim and proper, fashionable heiress actually turning out to be a scheming, racecar driving master of combat filled with dirty tricks," joked Korra in response. Asami was so relieved to finally hear that genuinely playful tone return to Korra's voice.

"Well, I wonder what else you don't know about me," replied Asami over her shoulder as she rose to her full height once again. A warning flashed in the back of her mind that she was taking a risk by flirting with Korra after what had happened the night before, but she ignored it. She took a couple steps away and turned to face the Avatar as she stood once again. "Now come on, give me more of a challenge this time." Korra returned Asami's smirk and set her stance once again.

For the better part of three straight hours, the two women were a flurry of motion, spiraling in and out of attack and defense. Almost every move was followed by commentary from Asami, who decided it would help to think most of her strategy out loud so Korra could understand what changes she had to make to her style. While the beginning of their session found Korra falling to the ground or otherwise defeated by Asami, she started to hold her own towards the end. Korra was a quick learner, and she was finally grasping the concept of using your opponent's energy and weight against them. There were a couple times when her attacks almost made contact with Asami before she herself was disarmed, but at least now Asami had to use her hands.

Korra panted in place as both women stared each other down with just a few feet between them. Both waited for the other to strike, looking to exploit any mistake they could find. Asami was feeling just as fatigued as Korra, though she was trying hard not to show it; three hours of constant fighting while simultaneously explaining the motions would leave anyone breathless. Asami was extremely proud of the improvement Korra had made in such a short time, even if it meant that it would be harder for her to win in their regular sparring sessions. Asami knew that Korra would eventually attack first, leaving Asami to simply counter and disarm as usual. Her eyes studied Korra's form critically, watching for micromovements that would give away Korra's impending attack. Her arms were glistening with sweat and trembling slightly from exertion, but her eyes were steady and determined. The cerulean gaze of the Avatar was fixed on Asami just as Asami's emerald eyes absorbed Korra's figure. Asami breathed in and out steadily, keeping her blood pumping so she wouldn't be caught off guard as she continued studying Korra. Her head was leaning forward slightly as if in preparation to burst forward. The sun reflected brightly off a bead of sweat that trickled its way down from Korra's furrowed forehead, over her soft, tanned cheek, and slipping into the slight gap between Korra's parted lips. Asami breathed in and out, a bit faster this time than she had intended. Her mind suddenly flooded with visuals of her lips hovering close to those parted lips, causing her gaze to soften slightly. _Not now, Asami! Finish the fight!_Asami breathed in slowly again, regaining composure and attempting to hide her lapse in concentration. _Look for signs of attack. You know this, and you know how she fights. Just beat her._Breathe in, breathe out. Asami searched Korra's stance for indication of direction. Her right foot was turned in the slightest amount, foreshadowing a dart to the left. Asami's eyes traveled up her form, searching for something that would betray whether this would be a feint or an actual indication of attack. Korra's clothes were disheveled from falling so much more than in her average fights. Her animal skin was long since lost and lying in a wrinkled pile on the other side of the arena. Korra's skin tight shirt was bunched up higher on her abdomen, leaving a gap of exposed skin between her snow pants and the hem of her shirt…

Korra lunged forward, springing off her back foot in an attempt to catch Asami's right arm and spin her to the ground. Asami, as distracted as she was, was slow to react as efficiently as she would have liked. The heiress managed to sidestep the grapple and take a hold of Korra's arm, but not before the Avatar managed to hook her foot on the inside of Asami's inside knee. Both women went flying to the ground, resulting in a wrestling match to decide who won the fight. Luckily for Asami, the Avatar was so exhausted from multiple defeats that she didn't have enough energy to throw Asami beneath her before she hit the ground, giving the heiress the advantage. It wasn't long before Asami had Korra's legs immobilized and her wrists pin securely to the arena floor. Asami was acutely aware of the heat radiating off the woman beneath her, but any reasoning that would tell her if it was a normal amount of heat or not was lost on the nonbender's mind. She stared down at Korra, both women panting heavily without withdrawing from the contact. Asami couldn't think, and Korra's eyes had an entirely new look in them which Asami could identify immediately, even if she did not consciously realize it. It felt like an hour before Korra's glistening lips pulled up into a smile that sent even more heat rushing to Asami's cheeks. The heiress slid off to the side of the Water Tribe woman, finally tearing her eyes away and redirecting her gaze to her own hands. Asami laughed to herself and, still not looking Korra in the eyes, allowed herself to be bold once again. "Looks like you have your own dirty tricks, little Miss Avatar."

"Well, you know how it is," Korra replied, pulling her torso up to her knees. "Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." _So she_did_do it on purpose. Holy shit. _Before Asami could think of a response, Korra twisted her abdomen to look behind them for whatever reason; Asami didn't care. All she was aware of was how Korra's hand was right next to her own, their pinkies just barely touching, and how Korra's cheek brushed Asami's ear as she turned. _Fuck, Asami, think clearly! Think, think, think!_Asami's head instinctively turned toward Korra's face, which was slowly returning to its original position. The two women were so close that Asami's nose was touching Korra's cheek, her forehead leaning against the Avatar's hair, and both women found themselves breathing faster even as the world around them seemed to slow down. Korra swallowed hard, leaning into Asami's touch as she turned her head towards the heiress. Asami stared at Korra's lips as they came closer to her own, shivering when Korra's upper lip just barely brushed against her own bottom one. Asami's heartbeat shook her entire body as her eyelids began to close-

"Yeah, bro, Korra and I will meet you for dinner in a few, just wait for us there!" Korra and Asami jumped so suddenly that they ended up a good three feet away from each other. Approaching them with his back turned was none other than Mako, whose existence had slipped Asami's mind until this very rude awakening from what she was sure was a dream. Both Korra and Asami scrambled to their feet, neither making eye contact with the other. Mako turned away from his brother and walked directly towards them, his eyes immediately focusing on Korra and nothing else. Asami felt a wave of guilt crash through her body as she watched the firebender's eyes light up with happiness at the sight of the girl he loves. _Spirits, what was I thinking?_Mako gathered Korra up in his arms once he reached her, handing her her animal pelt that had been lying forgotten on the other side of the arena. Asami looked away just as he went in to give Korra a peck on her lips. "Hey sweetie, how was training?"

"Uhm, it was great. You know, for, uh… nonbending. And all." Asami kept her gaze fixed to the ground, trying to block it all out.

"You okay, sweetie? You're trembling, did you get hurt?" The obvious concern in Mako's voice was sickening to Asami. If anyone really did _not_need Mako's protection, it was the Avatar.

"Yeah, no I'm fine. Don't worry about me, really. It was just a long training session. I'm tired, is all." Asami steeled herself and turned to face the two lovers, prepared to see them in their usual embrace.

"Korra, I-" Asami stopped mid-sentence when she saw that Korra was staring directly at her, barely paying attention to Mako's attempts to fit his arm around her back to support her. Asami cleared her throat and drew herself up into her most formal demeanor. "You really made great progress today. If you keep going at this rate, I'm sure Tenzin will let you spar regularly in a week or two. Have fun at dinner, and I'll see you same time tomorrow."

"Wait, what? Why is Asami giving you instructions? What's different about sparring, Korra?" Mako always managed to box everything out and focus on one thing, no matter how he came across. It was hard for Asami to admit, but his disregard for her existence stung just as hard now as it did when she was dating him. But still, those deep blue eyes never left Asami's.

"Tenzin has assigned Asami as my nonbending martial arts master. She's going to train me every day in place of our regular sparring sessions. I forgot to tell you." Korra's voice was detached, and Asami was suddenly overcome with the urge to flee.

"Uhm, yeah. So I'm going to go-"

"Wait, Asami," interjected Mako, managing to make her insignificant even when she's speaking yet seeming perfectly friendly about it. _Calm down, Asami. Ugh, I thought I was over this animosity. He's not trying to be rude._Asami smiled back as he continued, "would you like to join us for dinner? Bolin has been moping about some girl all day, he could use some company."

"Uhm," Asami stumbled. She really felt the need to figure this all out before socializing, but she couldn't see how to politely refuse. _Even though he still is making my company a last resort._ "Sure, why not. Let me just wash up and I'll meet you there in a few."

"Excellent, see you there!" Mako turned away, steering Korra with him. Even when Korra was forced to look away from her, Asami still felt Korra's gaze burned into her soul. Once again, Asami found herself staring after the retreating figure of the Water Tribe woman.

_This is ridiculous._Asami walked on her own out of her building and towards the dining hall. She had spent even more energy making sure she looked attractive, and she knew it was because of Korra. Which was, she knew, ridiculous. _At least I have the right shoes on this time._ Asami's mind was a mess; she wasn't sure what was logical or what made sense anymore. Never before had her heart been able to fully overrule her mind before, not until the past twenty-four hours. Even when it came down to her own father, she knew the right decision was one that would break her heart and she did it anyways. So why was it so hard to be logical about one girl?

Asami was trying to quiet her mind and figure out why she was even going to dinner with the happy couple when she heard their voices flow toward her from the other side of the building to her right. Before she could decide whether or not to greet them or avoid them, she noticed their voices had gotten quieter. _But their tone is the same… So, why'd they stop moving?_Curiosity got the better of her, causing her to retrace her steps until she could hear their voices clearly again.

"… not ego if it's true, Mako."

"I'm sure your lessons are going well, I know that, but-"

"But _what_, Mako? Just say it!"

"Are you trying to start a fight with me? I thought we were past that!"

"Am _I_ trying to start a fight? You're the one saying that I can't protect myself!"

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are! _I'm the Avatar,_ Mako. I may not be the best Avatar or the most talented one, but I am the Avatar. I can defend myself. I have thousands of years of knowledge to pull from, not to mention control over all of the elements. You don't need to protect me all the-"

"_YES I DO!_" Mako's exclamation rang through the streets and echoed off the buildings, ushering in one of the heaviest silences Asami had ever witnessed.

"… If you need a girl that is begging for your oh so chivalrous protection all the time, you're with the wrong one. Yes, I know I wasn't ready for the Equalists and I am thankful that you helped me defeat Amon, but if you can't let this go… you'll have to let me go. I'm done being your porcelain doll." Snow crunched softly as Korra walked away, but it was minutes before Asami heard Mako take his first steps. To her horror, it sounded like he was walking towards the boys' barracks, which was right past her location. Asami ducked into a side alley and looked out just in time to see the troubled boy kick the snow as he trudged past. He stopped and looked up at the night sky, and Asami saw the moonlight reflected in the tears running down his face.

_Oh my spirits…_ Asami was shocked beyond words. Even though she had not forgiven Mako for what he had done to her, she felt bad for him. _And Korra seemed so angry…__I wish I knew what started that fight. They seemed so happy before this._Then the memory of Korra's lips against hers flashed through her mind, along with that mysterious look she had in her eyes as she watched her before the match. _What does any of this mean? I'm so, no. Korra… Where did Korra go?_ Asami finally emerged from her hiding place in the alley and went to find Korra's tracks. From the look of it, Korra had gone to the arena. Asami stared in that direction for a few moments before turning around and marching off toward the dining hall. _If there's anyone Korra needs right now, it's a friendly face._No matter how hard any of them tried, no one could resist Bolin's genuine care when they were down.

Asami walked into the dining hall and spotted Bolin right away. He was sitting at a table by the western wall, charming a crowd of Water Tribe girls with his romance stories about the moon. I guess he got over that girl Mako was talking about. He had already eaten, by the look of the three empty bowls of what looked like the sea prune and seaweed noodle special in front of him. The anxious feeling stirring in Asami's gut intensified as she walked up to Bolin and his entourage. Bolin spotted her over the heads of the younger teen girls and smiled, spreading his arms in welcome of his friend. "Hey, Sato! Where've you been? And where's Mako and Korra? They said they'd be here like, _hours_ ago!" boomed Bolin, exuberant as always. He leaned forward towards the girl, obviously deep in Bolin World as he concocted a scenario in which the two benders would have been delayed. "Hmmm… Did Naga eat Mako?! She never did really like him, anyways!" He smiled again, waiting for Asami to laugh at another of his many Naga jokes, and finally registered the discomfort on Asami's face. His face fell even as the girls around him giggled at his joke. He cleared his throat and addressed the girls as a gentleman as he stood up. "Ladies, ladies, we'll have to resume this beautiful evening some other night. My friend here needs me, and it would tear me up inside to deny a friend in need." With this, Bolin gave a deep bow to the girls, eliciting swoons from the entire party, and made his way over to Asami a few paces away. "What's up, pal?"

"Mako and Korra had a fight. A big fight. And I heard most of it… Anyways, Mako went back to his room, but Korra went off in the direction of the arena. I was just wondering if you'd be willing to help?" These words fell awkwardly out of Asami's mouth. She wasn't sure what she wanted out of this situation. For once, she had no plan and no strategy, no plan of attack. She was just acting on instinct, wherever that was leading her.

"Of course I'll help, Asami! I'll go find Mako and you-"

"No, no, Bo. I-" _Oh spirits, this sounds horrible._"I was hoping you would go find Korra for me. You can help her more than I can right now, and…" Asami was staring at her feet, trying not to let the pressure from escaping through her eyelids yet again. She took in a deep breath and looked at Bolin. As his bright green eyes connected with her light emerald ones, a look of understanding settled over him and he nodded, leaving the hall without another word. Asami breathed out her ragged breath and leaned against the wall.

"He's _so_ dreamy," sighed one of Bolin's fangirls as they watched him out the window. Asami smiled briefly, then looked back at the girls. They gave her an idea that hatched into a plan before she could even control it. As much as she knew it was a bad idea, Asami found herself out the door and following Bolin to the arena. _This is crazy, and wrong, and crazy. I should have sent Bolin to Mako, he was so much more upset._She sighed in frustration at herself. _Why am I doing any of this? I don't even know that much anymore!_When Asami reached the arena, she was just in time to see Bolin greet the solitary girl in the center of the arena. The Avatar was sitting exactly where Asami had stood just hours before, meditating silently until Bolin interrupted. From what Asami could tell, Korra didn't mind. She got to her feet and punched Bolin's shoulder, causing Bolin to laugh and return the gesture. The two walked over to the spectator stands to the side of the arena and sat down in the front row. Asami stuck to the shadows and snuck closer and closer until she could hear their conversation.

"…been through a lot, and he's always had to take care of me. It's a part of who he is now, and I don't think that will ever really change."

"Which is exactly the problem, Bo. He's smothering me, and I can't handle it. He wants a girl who will listen to his every command and is okay with being weak and dependent. That's not me. I hoped he would get over it, but it's only getting worse."

"I know, Korra, but he was always like that. You sure this isn't a… _lady mood_ or something?"

"Bolin! No, it's not that. I've just been thinking a lot lately, and… I think I only wanted him because he didn't want me. And then I only wanted him because he wasn't available… It's like he was just a challenge, another element I had to master. And… when I lost my bending, I just didn't want to be around him at all. While he was trying to be my bodyguard, I realized something. We had nothing in common anymore. My bending is back now and he still treats me like I'm weak and a disaster waiting to happen, and I'm suffocating!"

"Well… Do you still love him?"

"That's the thing, Bolin. I don't really know what love even is. I've lived in this compound my whole life, and there has barely been anyone my age. The only thing I knew about any kind of relationship was that the guy falls for the girl, or the other way around, and that that was love. I have no idea what I'm doing…"

"Hey, pal, come on." Asami heard the shift of clothing accompanied by a poorly concealed sniff. _Oh no, is she… no._Asami's heart shattered at the sound of this beautiful, strong woman she admired so much being lost to the point of tears. And what was worse, she could do nothing about it. All Asami was was a shadow. _Come on, Bolin. Help her, damn it!_"Love is hard, you know? I mean, that's all I really know about it. It doesn't matter how old you are or who falls for who or any of that stuff. It just matters that whoever you pick makes you happy! The best thing you can do is be honest with him, and see where it goes from there. Everything'll work itself out, I promise!"

"Thanks, Bo," Korra chuckled. "You're a great friend."

Asami sensed they were about to depart and started to quietly retreat as Bolin started to get gushy and emotional. Asami couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, which confused her greatly. _She's unhappy with Mako, so maybe she'll be happy with me, right?_And that's when it hit her; what she wanted this whole time was to figure out if Korra wanted her more than Mako, or wanted her at all. She wanted to hear that she was the reason Korra was getting disenchanted with Mako. _But she didn't mention me at all… What if she only flirted with me during training to try to get out of her relationship, not because she wanted me?_Asami felt guiltier than ever, and decided that this was far more than she could deal with in one day. If she didn't get to her room soon, she'd explode. She tore down street after street, not even trying to pretend she wasn't upset.

"Hey, Asami." Asami jumped, shocked out of her trance. She had assumed she was alone on the streets at this time of night and wasn't expecting someone to be, well, expecting her. Especially when this person ended up being the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Hey, Mako. What are you doing out here? It's freezing tonight." Mako was sitting on a bench near the girls' dormitories, which was on the other side of the village from the boys' dormitories.

"I was looking for you, actually. I, uh, wanted to apologize for missing dinner. Would you mind sitting with me for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure. Is something wrong?" _Did Bolin tell him how I feel about Korra? Or is he going to ask about the training? What else could it be?_Mako shifted his gaze so he was looking directly at the heiress, and she saw regret shown plainly across his face. _What is going on?_

"Asami, I wanted to apologize for what I did to you. Looking back, I realize there was no worse way for me to go about all that happened between us, and I am so,_so_ sorry. I should have told you about the kiss, and when I realized how much I cared about her you should have been the first person I talked to. I was so caught up in myself that I forgot about you, and I hope that one day you can forgive me for it." Asami was shocked, and suddenly she didn't know what to do all over again. _Why couldn't this have waited until morning? I'm so confused… Should I tell him about my feelings for Korra, or does that even matter if she's breaking up with him? What am I supposed to do here? Where is Mother when I need her…_"Asami?"

"Oh, uhm, yeah. Of course. You didn't mean it. I'm just sorry everything ended up this way, with everything falling apart so soon after it looked like everything was getting better. And honestly, I've been really upset about everything that happened between us, so it means a lot that-"

"Wait, what do you mean 'everything's falling apart'? Did something happen in Republic City?"

"What? No, I was referring to-" _Oh shit, he doesn't know I heard the fight. And he doesn't know about Korra's talk with Bolin, either! How do I-_

"You were referring to me and Korra?" Mako's eyes were hooded as he drew back from the heiress. "What has she told you?"

"Nothing! It's just that I heard you fighting and it didn't sound like things were getting better." _Spirits, I need time to think!_"I think Bolin helped, though! He calmed her down and-"

"You told Bolin? Why would you do that?! Spirits, Asami, we don't need the entire South Pole knowing our business!"

"Well then maybe you shouldn't go shouting your business at the top of your lungs! Korra's right, you haven't changed a bit!" Asami was snapping, and Mako was hitting her while she was already down. Her eyes reflected the anger in his, though his amber eyes slowly started to change from infuriated to indignant. _Oh no, I didn't mean to say that!_Before Asami could fix what she said, Mako had turned on his heels and was running toward the arena. "Why am I so stupid?" wondered Asami to herself. She had never felt this imbalanced, this confused. Everything was swirling in her head as she finally crashed into her room and barred the door from the world. She didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face until her head hit her pillow.

_What have I done?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Darkness. Emptiness. Crushing space, the weight of anxiety. A pale green glow directly ahead. The view changed; she saw herself. The glow came from her eyes, wide with panic. Everything was black but her, illuminated by her green eyes. Space rushed in, the weight crippling. She saw through her eyes again as a figure started to appear in the glow. She couldn't move; the weight was too heavy. Anxiety, fear, panic. The face started to resolve. She couldn't close her eyes to end the light. Amber eyes. Grey hair. Glaring, piercing, accusing. The man reached toward her, his face contorted in rage. Vision rushed out and she saw herself again. As his fingers reached toward her face, her eyes changed into glowing green goggles as her face was enveloped in a mask. The man laughed coldly as she felt the terror of her silent scream in the crushing darkness..._

Asami woke with a start, her eyes sore and her body in a cold sweat. Her eyelids had trouble separating; crusted mucus glued her eyelashes in place. The woman raised a shaking hand to rub her stubbornly lidded eyes and felt the dried trails of salt down her cheeks, feeling them crack slightly when she turned her neck. The vision of her father was still burned into her eyelids. This was not the first nightmare the heiress had suffered since the... _incident. _A cold shiver crept its way up the woman's spine. _When will it end? _Asami sighed and rested her head on her knees with her eyes closed, her arms wrapped protectively around her head. She concentrated on breathing, trying to block everything bad from her world for just a bit longer...  
"-don't _care _if she's having a hard time with anything, I'm going to talk to her _now!_" Electrified, Asami's entire body jolted backwards away from the abrasive voice that crashed through her self-created barrier. _Oh no, please, Spirits, no no no no no..._

"Come on, Korra, please. Let me talk to her. Or at least- Ah come on, Korra! Wait up! You- Korra, she's just-" Bolin's flustered pleading was drowned out by the sudden loud slams of Korra's fist against her door. Asami stared at the door with wide eyes, unable to respond. Her door was still locked from the night before, though she knew that wouldn't keep the Avatar out for long.

"Hey, Asami! Let me in! You've got a lot of explaining to do!" shouted the Avatar. Asami's heart sunk lower with each word, hearing the anger and aggression grow more and more obvious.

"Bolin, _go away! _Asami! Open the door or I'll bash it down!"

"Korra, just give her some spa-"

"Go away, Bolin, or so help me-" Korra was cut off as Asami wordlessly opened the door the slightest amount, only strong enough to unlock the door and let it creep an inch or two away from the wall before retreating back into her room. The heiress leaned against her bed, looking down at her feet and holding her elbows tightly across her chest to control her shivering. A crushing weight fell on Asami's chest as she felt the Avatar barge into the room, closely followed by a panicked Bolin.

"Asami, I'm sorry, I couldn't get her to-"

"Bolin! If you don't leave _right now _I'm going to hit you so hard with a fire blast that you won't be able to move for a month! _Get out!_" Korra was fuming. The ice at her feet weakened from the intense heat the furious woman was emitting, which was easily noticed by the downcast eyes of the heiress.

"But I just-"

"It's okay, Bo. I'll find you later." Asami's voice was as soft as a whisper, but held all the power of Korra's shouts. Bolin looked at her with concern, then slowly backed out of the room. Asami made no move to address Korra, her eyes still staring at the ground as she breathed. _From one nightmare to the next..._

"Who do you think you are, _Miss Sato?_" accused Korra, her words exploding through the silent room. "Where do you get off, thinking you have the _right _to mess with my life like that?! Has _anything_ happened in the past forty-eight hours that you didn't plan?" Hiroshi's eyes flashed in Asami's mind. _She think I wanted this to happen?_ "Is this all revenge on Mako for leaving you for me? Or is it revenge on me for kissing your boyfriend? What is it, already? Because I swear, you're just as _manipulative _as your father!" Asami was numb. _Did I want it to happen? I'm... so lost..._ All she heard was her father's cold laugh ringing in her ears. The weight of the room was crushing her chest so hard she could barely breathe. Breathless and numb, she stared at the floor, unmoving. She could feel Korra getting more and more angered by her silence, but all she felt was weight. After a few minutes, Korra's explosive breath broke the silence again. "I was right about you. You're spoiled and hate that I have what you want. Well too bad, Miss Rich Girl. You are nowhere near as noble as you pretend to be!" Korra strode out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Asami still stood alone, unmoving and unfeeling. She pushed herself back onto her bed and stared at the wall, feeling fresh moisture cut through the salty trails on her cheeks.

The numbness had finally taken over Asami. There had always been a part of her that was constantly numb since her mother was taken from her, and that numbness grew substantially with each new loss she suffered. She had always had one or two bright lights in her life that broke through the pain and made her life worth it, things like her stable home, the security of her daily routine, her father, racing, and her friends. These were her whole life, her whole identity. Now there was nothing. Nothing but crushing emptiness, the weight of utter worthlessness. She didn't even have herself as a friend or an ally. All she saw was blackness, even with her eyes wide open. Nothingness. Her father's voice echoed in her mind, forcing her to relive the last words she ever heard him speak. Everything she had lost finally broke out of the cage previously created by her strength, taking hold of her in her weakness. She didn't know hunger or thirst, happiness or sadness, hope or desperation. All she knew was numbness, the crushing weight of her own failure.

The day passed by, but Asmai remained secluded. She was vaguely aware that Bolin and an older man, she assumed Tenzin, had come by to see her. She had said nothing, only stared at the wall and felt nothing. Korra's face entered her numb musings, and a fresh ache pulsed through her body. Her heart felt weakened and insufficient. All she could think of was Korra's anger, her voice letting out the apparent hate and distrust she now felt towards Asami. Crushing numbness with aching pain. Nothing had ever felt so hopeless, so excruciatingly abysmal. Darkness fell in the South Pole, leaving Asami to slowly drift into an uneasy sleep by the time the moon had made her way to the top of the night sky.

_The darkness spun; she was falling. Falling further into emptiness. Parts of her being torn away from the force of her spin, the speed of her fall. She spun and fell in the oppressive spiral of despair until she landed on a field of the deepest crimson. The floor beneath her shook, the entirety of the expanse of crimson undulating in its unrest. Her very bones were vibrating so violently she felt she would explode-_

Outside, the sky was becoming blanketed in an approaching expanse of grey storm clouds. Winds rushed through the snowy tundra, sweeping toward the Water Tribe complex and leading the charge for a powerful snowstorm. The bright blue eyes of the Avatar reflected the coming downfall of snow, though she remained unfazed. The solitary woman lowered her gaze and continued to drudge through the small village, her mind unable to make sense of her own turbulent emotions.

-_Asmai began to sink into the shaking ground. She realized the ground was liquid, a sea of blood. She couldn't swim. She sunk further and further down, unable to breathe or move as the world dimmed-_

Korra was unbalanced. Everything felt wrong. She could not train, meditate, or calm her heart. She was angry, but she could not figure out _why._ Every attempt to talk to someone all day ended in her exploding in fury, and none of it made her feel better. Everything was just so _wrong..._

_-The dark waters twisted and contorted around Asami as she sunk into nothingness. She felt a wave of heat wash over her as though the ocean of blood around her were on fire. Boiling, crippling heat. A scream broke the crushing silence, a scream she had heard before. More heat. Her mother. Jumping in front of a little girl clutching her toy Satomobile her father had made for her. A wave of blistering, unbearable heat as piercing screams echoed through the waters-_

Korra felt the cold winds of the storm hit her before the snow entered the village. She closed her eyes and felt the air move around her, letting herself feel the patterns of the air and listening to the element. This calmed her mind, finally allowing her to release most of her anger. "What am I angry at?" she mused to the air around her. Not Mako, nor Asami, nor Bolin... The wind swirled around her body and lifted her locks of hair off her face. "No... I'm angry at... myself?" Korra sighed and stood still, her face lifted to the sky as the wind slowed. She breathed in and out, calming her mind.

The wind whispered past her ears, bring the softest voice out of the void, "..._ the greatest change._" Korra opened her eyes as the first wall of snow hit her. Aang's voice was swept away by the violent raging of the storm, and Korra forced her head down as she trotted down the street. The wind swept towards her again, now carrying a desperate scream instead of a soft whisper.

"Asami...?" Korra wondered for a moment. Then it all clicked. Everything fell into place, shocking Korra into action. "Asami!" The young Avatar sprinted towards the women's dormitories, bending the snow and wind out of her way without breaking her sprint.

_-The darkness of the waters closed on her, the heat disappearing. She was no longer drowning. Alone again, surrounded by blackness and crushing emptiness. The void rang with fear and prophecy. Amber eyes glowed in the darkness ahead. Gears turned and steam vented-_

Korra flew down the hallways, closing the distance to Asami's room without regard to her noise level. She slammed into a wall as she took a corner too fast. In that instant, she heard the defeated sobbing echoing from the room at the end of the hall. The Avatar pushed off the wall and raced to the room, letting herself in without a knock. "Asami..."

-_A mechanical arm emerged from the darkness. The figure had no face. Amber eyes surrounded by grey materialized from the darkness, still mostly in shadow. The sound of gears turning filled the stifling darkness with more stress and anxiety-_

Korra shook the heiress gently, no longer sure of what to do. "Asami? Asami, wake up," pleaded the Avatar desperately. Asami let out another choked sob, her body starting to shake uncontrollably. "No, Asami, please wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up, _please." _Korra felt useless being this close to what she needed to fix yet not knowing how to do so. Asami's shaking increased and Korra noticed the woman's forehead glimmer with sweat. Acting on instinct, Korra climbed onto Asami's bed and pushed her up just enough to climb behind her and slide her hips under the sleeping woman, pulling her trembling body into her arms and holding her as securely as she could. "Wake up, Asami. It's okay, I'm here. I'm here, I promise you. Please wake up, Asami. Please..."

_-The glowing light resolved. The man stared at her again, hate in his eyes. Asami couldn't move. The man raised his mechanical arm, gears hissing maliciously through the nothingness. _

"_I now see that there is no chance to save you!"-_

Asami screamed as she woke from her familiar Hell, her whole body rebelling against what her mind believed was real only a moment ago. Her eyes ached through the constant stream flowing from their corners and spilling over their edges. Her arms threw themselves out instinctively, attempting to fend off the pain of her father's actions, but were unsuccessful. Her arms searched to find her restraints and felt warm, soft skin over hard muscle wrapped around her body. She tried to rip them off, but they would not budge. Asami heaved out heavy, painful sobs between forced breaths and turned to huddle herself into this support, instinctively knowing that these arms were protective and secure. She buried her tear-soaked face in the neck of the woman behind her and cried as the arms tightened protectively around her. Asami's hands reached up and touched the woman's face, pulling herself closer until her sobbing calmed and subsided. She felt warm lips on her forehead as the woman placed kiss after kiss on the top of her head to her brow and down the side of her cheek. Asami's eyes opened slightly, just enough to confirm with her eyes what she felt in her heart. _Korra? _The woman's kisses moved farther down her tear-streaked face with their own desperation. There was an urgency in these kisses that Asami did not fully understand, but she felt her heart surge unpleasantly when they suddenly stopped. "No, please," she heard herself beg weakly. She did not know what she wanted, but neither did she want it to stop. Korra rested her forehead against Asami's for a moment, her face hard with her own inner conflict, before slowly bringing her steady lips to Asami's trembling ones. As soon as she felt Korra's lips touch her own, Asami latched herself to the woman holding her as though she were her lifeline, her grip on sanity. A small light burst to life in her pervading darkness, and she sprinted towards it. She needed her like she needed air. With her kiss, the waterbender began to pull the drowning woman out of the ocean. Asami needed her. She needed to feel herself entirely consumed by Korra. She needed to lose herself in this woman, and she communicated all of her need with the urgency and passion of her kisses.

As Korra's hands began to remove Asami's nightshirt, it was clear that she got the message. One more tear slid down the heiress' face as Korra's lips burned a trail down Asami's abdomen and down to the hollow created by her shaking thighs.

Bright rays of sun reflected off the fresh snow, illuminating Asami's face as she laid in her bed. She had woken from her shallow sleep when the storm stopped, but she had not moved from her position inside Korra's bare arms. Flashes of the night before played behind her emerald eyes, filling her with a mixture of pain, guilt... and fear. In the big picture, what had happened between herself and the woman who laid naked against her bare back was morally _wrong..._ but in Asami's own personal world, it was the only thing that had the power to pull her out of her numb despair. _It probably meant nothing to her... but what if...? _The feeling of urgency in Korra's kisses could not be faked. The look of sadness and desperation in her eyes seemed to be begging Asami for a way to let her help end the pain. _Stop it, Asami. If you let her in again, you'll never recover. _Asami squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her body tense as she retreated into herself. Korra unconsciously tightened her grip on the heiress, pulling her body closer into the protective shield of her embrace. Asami's hastily constructed defenses wavered and melted as Korra's touch triggered a string of memories from their night together. Her mind filled with the memory of Korra's touch sending warmth throughout Asami's cold body, her tender kisses caressing her neck and her lips constantly when not otherwise occupied, and her strong arms always holding her securely. Asami felt her heartbeat kick at the memories, trying desperately to relive that which she had been desiring above all else.

Korra groaned as she started to rise out of her sleep. Asami felt the muscles up and down the woman's entire body tense as she yawned, smiling despite herself when Korra's nose nuzzled its way through her waves of black hair and into her neck. "Mmmm... Good morning, beautiful," purred the woman as she pressed her lips to the back of Asami's neck. The point where Korra's warm, delicate lips caressed her skin sent a shock of confused emotions through her body. As Asami struggled to identify them all, she thought, _Does she do this on purpose, or am I just hypersensitive to this girl? _The emotion she managed to isolate as the most powerful was, to her slight surprise, vulnerability. She felt exposed, for more reasons than her physical state. Korra had found her in her weakest, lowest point and, instead of turning her back and abandoning her, did what she could to pull Asami out of her Hell. _Which means, _the heiress determined, _she knows how much power she has over my state of being, moreso even than I do. Basically, I'm becoming just another element to master. _

Korra propped herself up onto her elbow, playfully tracing her fingers across the skin by Asami's ear and down to her neck. The heiress fought back a shiver as she tried not to respond. Korra grinned as she ran her hand over Asami's bare shoulder, down to the porcelain surface of her abdomen. Asami's thoughts were halted abruptly as she felt the trail of warmth meet resistance a few inches below her belly button, causing her brain the dissolve into static. Korra's menacing lips met Asami's neck again, her sultry voice perfectly clear even as she spoke in between kisses. "We could go to breakfast," the woman purred, brushing her lips up Asami's neck to her ear. Her wandering hand brushed seductively across the dip between Asami's thigh and her pubic bone. "Or," the Avatar continued, taking Asami's earlobe between her wolf-like teeth, "we could stay in bed," her fingers reached down and brushed Asami's clit, "and-"

"Uhm, I have to go." The heiress swiftly maneuvered herself into a sitting position, breaking Korra's hold on her ear and preventing her from weakening her defenses further. Asami swung her legs over the side of the bed, keeping her back to the woman she wanted so desperately. It took all of Asami's willpower to resist Korra's advances. Even though she wanted to let her continue, her mind told her that this was the wrong way for it to happen. "I have to go find Tenzin. And I've fallen way behind on my work for Future Industries."

"Oh. Okay." Asami could hear the disappointment in the Avatar's voice, but she also identified a touch of insecurity. Korra was not used to being denied what she wanted, and it was unlikely that she knew how to react to it. "Do you want me to come by later or...?" The question hung in the air, searching for a response. Asami hesitated, then proceeded to rise from her bed and retrieve her crimson silk robe from the other side of the room. She felt Korra's eyes on her exposed body as she donned the garment.

Her face still turned away from Korra, the heiress finally replied, "I have a lot to do. I'll let you know when I'm caught up."

"Asami, we should really talk-"

"You should go." For what felt like an eternity, neither woman moved nor spoke. Asami studied the black-stenciled lines of the complex pattern of roses across the hem of her robe, which her father had given to her as a present from a business trip to Ba Sing Se the year before. She felt Korra's eyes boring into her back.

"If that's what you want." Asami had expected anger or frustration, so she was surprised by Korra's acceptance of her words. _She's grown since Republic City. _The heiress finally turned her body to face the Avatar, who was recovering her tribal wraps from within the sheets of the bed, but kept her eyes downcast and leaned against the wall by the door. She watched Korra slowly dress herself, pulling on her snow pants with her muscled back to Asami, and kept her arms wrapped securely across her chest. Korra pulled on her fur-lined winter coat last, then made her way to the door and pulled it open about an inch before Asami laid her hand on Korra's forearm, halting her. Korra eyes searched Asami's downcast face cautiously, their eyes level for once due to Asami's stance. The heiress straightened herself and placed a silent peck on Korra's cheek, then released her arm once again. Korra watched her for a second longer, then departed through the doorway without a word. Asami took a deep, steadying breath and made her way to her desk. The heiress took out two pieces of parchment and started to write.

Snow crunched under her animal-skin boots as she made her way through the streets to the arena. She did not have to look where she was going; she knew these streets better than the fur behind Naga's ears. _What was I thinking? What was _she _thinking? What does any of this mean? _Korra's ears buzzed incessantly, her mind working furiously. She had never had this much complexity to deal with before. Usually she just went after what she wanted and eventually ended up with it. Simple. She would go with her instincts and they would serve her well. This, on the other hand, was complicated. _Ugh! I suck at this! What does she even want! _Orange and yellow robes suddenly intruded on her vision, marking her arrival at the arena. "Sorry I'm late, Tenzin. Let's get started." Korra grasped the edge of her pullover fur-lined coast and began lifting it over her head to prepare for her warmup airbending drills before meditation.

"Honestly, I thought you could tell us apart by now." Korra's arms stopped halfway through removing her jacket. The voice was unmistakable, as familiar and comforting as only a previous incarnation could be. "And you might want to keep that jacket on. It's cold in the air above the South Pole." Korra heard Aang laugh to himself as she struggled to reverse her efforts with her coat.

Korra finally got her jacket down to its original position and smiled up at her mentor. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Graceful as ever, I see," Aang laughed in response. "Kyoshi was adamant about me letting you figure this out on your own, but someone else was quite hard to ignore."

"About what? Who?" Korra saw a flicker of movement behind Aang, who was scratching the back of his head with an air of guilt, and was able to decipher Katara's smiling face at the end of the street by her home. For the second time in her life, Korra saw the master give her an encouraging wink. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Korra tentatively, though she was starting to suspect the subject. Without further explanation, Aang placed his palm on the waterbender's forehead and closed his eyes, taking Korra with him the rest of the way into the Spirit World. As Korra's eyes reopened, she saw the flying bison she assumed was Appa descend from the clouds and land before herself and his lifetime friend.

"Korra, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend, Appa." Appa huffed a greeting in Korra's direction. "Now, climb aboard. Don't be sh-" Korra cut off the airbender with an excited _whoop _as she ran forward to climb up one of the bison's front legs. By the time she had stationed herself in the saddle, Aang had taken his place on Appa's neck with the reins firmly in his hands. The past Avatar leaned forward slightly, placed his hand by Appa's ear, and, as though exchanging a thought with a best friend, communicated his wishes to his guide. Within a couple brief seconds, all three of them were in the air flying away from the Water Tribe settlement.  
Korra pulled her head back inside the confines of the saddle after watching her home shrink to a point below them. One bonus of flying in the Spirit World was that there was no lack of oxygen or heat up in the glacial sky. She was perfectly comfortable this high up in the clouds. The young Avatar climbed to the front of the saddle in order to be able to speak with her mentor.

"You gonna tell me why you have me up here, Master Arrowhead?"

"Katara and I thought you could use some... experienced advice. Since you, uhm, haven't been around too many kids your age. Until recently, that is. And, well," Aang stammered. His back was entirely rigid, adding even more awkwardness to his fragmented mumbling. It was remarkable how much the legendarily carefree Aang resembled his son in this moment.

"This is about Asami, isn't it," blurted Korra. She was never good at being subtle or patient, and she wanted to get this out in the open before Aang hurt himself.

"Yes, it is. But not just her, it's also about Mako," sighed Aang as he steered the bison around a cloud out of habit. "But let's start with her, anyways. Things got a little out of hand with you two recently."

"Do you watch _everything _I do?" Korra accused her mentor indignantly. She knew that if she could feel heat in her spiritual form, it would all be in her face right now.

"All of your past lives are linked with you, Korra. Even if we tried not to pay attention, the strongest of your living emotions would still be impossible to ignore, as they are felt by all of us. There's no need to be embarrassed; we've all made similar mistakes in our pasts. We are all the same spirit, after all."

"Fine." Korra crossed her arms in defiance and glared at the back of Aang's bald, blue striped skull. "What about her, then?"

"That's a good question. What about her, indeed? What does she make you feel, and how is it different from Mako?" Aang's voice was polite and even as he maneuvered the ten-ton flying bison through the air with the grace of a Royal Dancer in the theatres of the Fire Nation.

"Well... I don't know. I mean, I've always felt a strange pull towards her, even in Republic City. It felt weird, though, and I had no idea what it was, so I just avoided her. Then we all got back here and we started hanging out a bit more and," Korra shrugged and looked down at the saddle. "I'd never had any friends that weren't guys before, I didn't realize that what I felt for her wasn't normal for friends. Until she, you know, came to talk to me a few nights ago. Then everything just kinda, clicked." Korra stared at the clouds shrinking behind them. It was surprisingly easy talking to her past life, even if she was basically talking to herself. Actually saying these things was a bigger relief than she would have thought.

"And what about Mako?"

"Well, he's cute and he cares about me a lot. I don't know, I think I just went after him because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. That's what everyone else did, that's what you did. I like him, but he just doesn't..."

"He doesn't make you feel like Asami does."

"Exactly. And by the time I figured that out," Korra's mind filled with memories from the previous night, now with a different perspective. "Well, it was bad timing." Both Avatars flew in silence for a minute, watching the clouds.

"Asami is afraid of you, you know," stated Aang flatly. He still did not turn to face Korra.

"Afraid of me? Why would she be afraid of me? We're friends!"

"The way you function is the opposite of how she does. She thinks things through to the end before making her first move, and you just dive in head first without a plan or stopping to think what the consequences could be. That, and you hurt her enough indirectly in the past that she fears how much you could hurt her directly if she decides to trust you. Think of how much the girl has lost, especially recently. To her, you're dangerous." Korra absorbed Aang's words with a sense of guilt and dread. _If she can't trust me, then why did last night happen? Does that mean she won't actually be with me?_ _Is that what I want?_ Aang added nothing else, and the two Avatars flew in silence.

"So, Aang. Has any Avatar ever been, well, like me?" Korra nervously tugged on her armband before hugging one of her knees. "You know, liking people even if they're a girl and I'm a girl?"

"What many people don't know is that most Avatars have been attracted to both genders. Some have developed a strong preference for one over the other, but most of us have been attracted to both. The Avatar is the spirit of the Earth, as you know, so we are all one. We all have separate personalities, but at our core we are the same spirit. Since there are both male and female Avatars, it makes sense that our romantic preferences are balanced in the middle. Many Avatars have reached the conclusion that humanity's perception of romance is far more limited than is natural or healthy, and that instead of only allowing yourself to be open to a specific sex we should be open to love in general." Korra was lost in thought. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy on how she felt with Mako compared to how she felt around Asami. The more she thought, the more she realized how aware she had been of Asami without realizing the meaning behind it. Even back in Republic City, what she thought was jealousy over Mako was something else entirely. _Wow, I'm such an idiot. _Then the memory of that morning assaulted her mind, and Aang's words about Asami's fear of her were suddenly obvious. _She wouldn't even look at me..._

"Aang? Can you take me back?"

"Of course, Korra. We're almost there, actually." Aang glanced at the sky and narrowed his eyes at the sun. "And you should probably head right to the dining hall before doing anything else."

"Why? I'm not hungry at all, there are more important things than food right now. I usually sleep past breakfast anyways, I'll be fine until lunch." Aang laughed without offering an explanation and shook his head. Korra was about to ask why he was laughing, but she was abruptly thrown to the back of the saddle as Appa dove the rest of the way through the sky to the same street where they had taken off. Korra saw her physical body sitting on the deck of a nearby building. She jumped down and noted the sets of footprints leading to her body from the middle of the street. _Apparently my body just stayed in the middle of the street. I wonder who moved me? _She looked up at Aang quickly and bowed her head slightly before rushing back to her body. She heard Appa take off behind her, flying North towards the distant Patola Mountains. While watching the bison disappear into the sky, a strange pulling sensation grasped behind her navel and pulled her backwards. The waterbender started to panic slightly as her vision blurred, but when she opened her eyes again she was back in her physical body. She had not noticed the absence of wind while in the Spirit World, but it was comforting to feel it return. Korra went to rise out of her sitting position and felt the muscles in her legs cramp up. _How long have I been sitting here? _She looked up at the sky and stretched. _I should find Asa- When did the sun get that high?! _As the time registered in her head, her stomach lurched uncomfortably. "Right, dining hall it is. Thanks a lot, Aang." With that, the bender marched up the street, stretching her arms over her head as she went.

Korra charged into the dining hall and headed straight for the blubbered seal jerky and sea prunes. She piled her plate to her normal amount, which was about twice as much food as the most of the others got and more than three times as much as most of the girls, and went to find a seat. Her eyes scanned the cafeteria and her heart sank. If the girl she was searching for was anywhere in the large room, she would have seen her in an instant. With her head hanging slightly, the Avatar went to find an empty table.

"Hey, Korra!" The Avatar jumped slightly and turned in the direction of the call. "_Kooooooooooooorra!_ Over here, come on!" Korra's gaze rested on the incorrigibly friendly face of Bolin, who showed no animosity about their previous meeting. Korra grimaced with guilt as she recalled the scene before making her way over to the earthbender's table.

"Hey, Bo," Korra started uncertainly. For once, Bolin was not surrounded by his usual fangirls, for which she was grateful. She had a lot on her mind, and those out-of-compound tourists were definitely not her favorite company. "I'm, uh... I'm sorry about, about yesterday."

"No worries," stated the boy immediately, "already forgotten. Too bad you guys couldn't make up before she had to leave, though. I mean obviously I thought you guys would be cute together, but friendship is more important. Tenzin wasn't very happy either, since he…"

The earthbender continued his report, but Korra wasn't able to hear any more of his words before his comment could completely sink in. _She left? I don't understand… _It had never occurred to the Water Tribe girl that, once back home in the South Pole, anything could change. She realized now how foolish that was; the Southern Water Tribe wasn't home to all of them. She stared into her sea prunes, feeling too empty to react to anything.

"… I didn't even know she _had _a ship from Future Industries here. It's huge! I was just on it actually, since it isn't leaving until tomorrow. Hey! You should totally go see-"

"Wait, what?" Korra jumped to her feet as though Bolin's words, which had just paralyzed her, had shocked her back to life. "She's leaving, but she hasn't left _yet? _She's still here?"

"What? Uh, yeah. I think she's packing now, as a matter of fact. I left Pabu with her- Hey wait, where are you-"

"Thanks, Bo!" Korra yelled over her shoulder as she plowed her way to the door. She set her eyes back on the door a second too late, sending one of the dining hall's patrons spiraling to the ground. The Avatar barreled through the door and sprinted down the street, sending powdered snow flying behind her.

Korra reached the girls dormitories slightly winded and found herself frozen in the doorway, suddenly aware of the fact that she had no idea what she would say. _Deep breath, Korra. _The waterbender steeled herself and did her best to walk calmly through the corridors to Asami's room.

"Hey, Asami? It's Korra." The Avatar opened the door slightly and poked her head through the opening, looking around for a sign of the heiress. To her dismay, she noticed immediately that the room way empty and Asami was nowhere in sight. Korra felt her heart drop once again and slumped against the wall, entirely exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster the past couple days had been. _If she isn't here, then where is she? _The Avatar meandered in Asami's room for another minute, running her hands absently over every surface until she reached the bed. She rested both her hands on the comforter, remembering the exact texture from the night before. A wave of sorrow crashed over the waterbender at the thought of losing this woman, especially now that she had finally sorted out her confused emotions she had been feeling towards her. Korra pulled herself onto the bed and sat on top of the covers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to clear her mind, but as soon as she inhaled her mind was filled with the lingering scent of the heiress still clinging to the sheets. Korra opened her eyes and looked down at the pillow, noting the slight blotches on the pillow which marked where Asami's tears had fallen. _She hasn't washed her sheets. Asami is far too polite to leave without… She's still here! _Korra jumped off the bed and made her way to the gates of the compound, heading in the direction of the shipping bay.

"Yes, Captain. I appreciate you delaying your departure for another night to accommodate me. I'm very grateful for your assistance on such short notice."

"It is my pleasure, ma'am. We have been anxiously awaiting your return to the company, and I consider it an honor to be the captain responsible for your journey home. Would you reconsider your decision to use a passenger's chamber for the journey? It would only serve to shame me if you did not take the captain's quarters."

"Captain, you'd be much more useful on hand should there be an emergency than me. I wouldn't put the safety of the crew in jeopardy just to have a bigger bed."

"As you wish, ma'am." The captain saluted the heiress, who curtsied politely in reply before making her way out of the cabin. As she walked down the gangplank and through the yard, she saw a figure running down the path that led down the large ice wall and into the harbor. Asami recognized the figure as Korra, causing her heart to jump into her throat. _What does she want? Is she looking for me? _Asami's eyes widened in sudden panic at the thought of having to face this woman, and she turned on her heels and took the longer path through the cargo yard to avoid her. Korra came barreling through the yard and stopped in front of a worker not far from Asami's location.

"Hey, you! Which ship is owned by Future Industries?" Asami was confused by the frantic tone in her voice.

"Uh, I think it's one of those two," replied the worker lazily, pointing out the only two large ships in the dock.

"What, you can't remember which ship you're supposed to be loading? Do I need to knock your head around for you to remember?" Asami sighed at Korra's persistent impatience. While she may have grown in her understanding of other people, she had not progressed at all in dealing with civilians and getting information diplomatically.

"Hey, kid, who do you think you're talkin' to? I oughta knock you into the bay!" Asami peaked around the edge of the crate she was standing behind and saw the worker draw himself up to his full height, which was at least a foot taller than Korra. In response, Korra took her hands from her hips and, bringing her leg up above her head and swinging it straight down to the ground below, propelled the dockworker straight up into the air with an earthbending strike.

"YOU WANNA TALK _NOW, _TOUGH GUY?!" Asami sighed and used this distraction to cover her retreat from the area, making her way to her dormitory to finish cleaning the room before heading to Master Katara's house for the night.

Asami laid in Katara's spare room, staring at the ceiling once more. This cabin was made of wood, allowing the rooms to be much warmer without the need of the specially formed ice needed to create insulated living quarters with waterbending (Asami had asked the specifics from Katara over diner). Korra had been searching the entire compound all afternoon and even made her way to Katara's house a few hours before, though the master sent her away on Asami's request. She feared that Korra might say something to try to change her mind, and she couldn't handle that right now. She knew where she belonged, and she would not risk another piece of herself when that was the last piece she had left. The heiress turned over on her cot to face the window, allowing her to stare up at the stars that had risen hours ago when the sun was still shining. The Aurora Patolis danced among the stars tonight, adding playful splashes of green and red to the black sky.

"Are you going to say goodbye to her?" Asami started at the sound of the old waterbending master, who now stood in the doorway to her room. She looked exactly the same as any other time she had seen her, with her arms crossed in their sleeves and her strands of hair pulled back in loops, though without her warm smile.

"Uhm, no. I wasn't actually planning on it," stated the heiress weakly as she pulled herself into a more polite position. She assumed Katara understood that the quarrel the two women were having was not a normal squabble between friends.

"I understand," replied the old master after a slight pause. "And is this a decision you will be at peace with when you return to Republic City?" Asami stared at Katara with shaky eyes and opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Katara's raised hand. "Do not answer the question for me, but for yourself. The door will not be locked tonight, if you were to take a walk." The warm smile returned to Master Katara's face as she turned away, leaving the door open slightly with her implied advice. Asami sighed to herself and forced herself to acknowledge the truth in Katara's words; she had known not explaining to Korra why she was leaving would haunt her, no matter how much distance she put in between them. With a grunt of reluctance, she pushed herself off her cot and searched for her coat and boots.

The walk to the girls' dormitories was tedious and frigid from the newest sheet of snow covering the road. While uncomfortable and drastically different from the warm, rowdy streets of the city that were her home, the heiress appreciated the environment; it allowed her to clear her head and figure out exactly what she wanted to say. When she reached the building that was her destination, she stopped in the doorway. _Do I have the strength for this? _Asami felt her chest shudder with chills that had nothing to do with the cold. She closed her eyes and took one last, steadying breath before taking a hesitant step over the threshold.

Asami made her way to Korra's room and knocked quietly, without otherwise announcing herself. She paused, waiting, for a response that didn't come. She knocked again, this time slightly louder. "Go away," replied Korra halfheartedly. Asami ignored this order and pushed the door open quietly, letting herself in. She closed the door behind her without a word and took a step into the room. "Look, I told you all to just leave-" Korra turned from her position on her bed from which she had been looking out the window, stopping midsentence at the sight of Asami. "Asami! Where have you been?" Korra jumped up from the bed and moved to rush to Asami with her arms opening, but stopped at the look on Asami's face. The heiress felt the muscles in her chest tighten over her heart at the look of relief on the Water Tribe woman's face, knowing she would only be hurting her with what she had to say.

"Korra, you should sit down," Asami ordered softly. Korra stared back defiantly, but still with tenderness in her cerulean gaze.

"I'll sit down if you will," the Avatar responded. Asami hesitated, then complied. Both women sat on the edge of Korra's bed, with Asami's body squared towards the exit and Korra's turned directly towards the other woman. Korra seemed restless, shifting her weight constantly and inching towards the heiress. "Asami, I'm sorry," blurted the Avatar, breaking the silence. She shifted down the bed, closing the remaining distance between herself and the heiress without further delay, and pushed the wavy locks of Asami's hair behind her ear without seeming to think about it. "I didn't mean to- ugh, I was so stupid. I don't want you to not trust me and I know I've hurt you before and I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Korra, stop. Please," insisted the heiress, interrupting Korra's bumbling apology. Asami grasped Korra's hand, which had lingered in her hair, and held it in her own with their joined hands resting on her thigh. "I have something to say, and I need to say it now." Korra's eyes burned into the side of her skull, not knowing what to do but too stubborn to move away from the girl on whom they focused. Asami gathered herself in preparation, then let herself go. "Everyone I've let in in my life has taken pieces of me. My mother took huge pieces from every part of me when she died, and that will never finish healing. My father, my protector, ripped my identity and my trust into shreds when he-" Asami's strength wavered for a moment as she once again went to Hell and back in her mind. _Keep going, Asami. Stay strong. _The heiress took a steadying breath as one tear slid down her cheek. "I'll never be the same after what he did to me. And then Mako took even more of me when he proved that I'd never be good enough, for anyone or anything. So, as important to me as you are, I need to leave. I can't let another piece of me be taken away when I only have so much left. I feel so empty, all the time. It hardly hurts anymore. After my mother died, it hurt just to wake up in the morning. It hurt to keep living without her. And now, after losing even more... I'm numb. The only time I can feel anything anymore is when I look at you. You have the last piece of my heart, and you probably always will," admitted Asami, causing her voice to waver the slightest amount. Korra's eyes shimmered slightly as she watched the vulnerable woman struggle before her. Korra squeezed Asami's hand and reached her head up instinctively, wanting only to comfort Asami the only way she knew how. Asami's shaking hands caught the Avatar's cheeks and held her at bay, forcing herself to resist the shining concern in Korra's eyes. The heiress smiled weakly, feeling the relentless tears gather strength along the battle lines of her eyelids before charging mercilessly into the mess of war. Shoulders shaking, the city girl let the walls guarding her emotions crumble and fall at the feet of the warrior in front of her, giving Korra a clear window into her pain and struggle. The small amount of spirit behind the concern in Korra's eyes faded as she started to understand. _Tell her. Tell her _now,_ before you change your mind. _Asami swallowed. "Which is why I have to go. I have to go back to Republic City, I have to save my family's company, and I have to try to get you out of my system. Because if I stay here any longer seeing you with Mako, knowing now what it's like to be held in your arms and kiss your lips and feel your skin... I'll lose that last piece of myself, and I know that I won't be able to stay strong through that. I won't be able to smile through the pain. And if there's one thing I've learned from all of this mess, it's that I'm the only person I'll always have. I can't lose any more of myself," Asami stated flatly. The woman breathed slowly, then looked down and whispered so softly it was almost inaudible, "and I know in my heart that you will take that last piece of me, and you will break me." The final foundations of Asami's defenses crumbled and shook, making her feel exposed and weak.The heiress stood slowly, drawing herself up to her full height. Her emerald irises steadied as the hydraulic invaders retreated. Asami walked to the door, pausing in the doorway just long enough to get one last glimpse of the woman she was leaving behind. The young Avatar hadn't moved an inch from where she had been previously linked with Asami's own body. _Go. Now. _

"Goodbye, Korra. I will always love you."


End file.
